Toronto’s Top East End Event Venues

Planning an event in Toronto’s East End?

5 years ago we wrote a blog article called “It’s My East End Party,” which helped dozens of people in their search for the right event space from Leaside through Riverdale and onto Leslieville. Since then, many of those sweet places have closed or changed. Thankfully, a host of chic new options east of the DVP have emerged, and the East End scene has never looked better.

Amsterdam Barrel House, 87 Laird Drive – Brand-spanking new and ready to pour, the people from Amsterdam have taken over what was formally Against The Grain location, a stones throw away from their brewery in Leaside. The decor is tasteful and will appeal to the high-end local crowd. The menu is diverse, and the party room upstairs is screaming for bookings of around 80 people. The highlight of the 2nd floor is the giant connecting patio. Contact karlee@amsterdambrewhouse.com

Amsterdam Barrel House is a big space with plenty of standing and seating room

Amsterdam Brewery, 45 Esandar Drive – When the old brewery at King & Bathurst got pushed out for condo towers, many people confused the stunning waterfront restaurant Amsterdam Brew House as the new home of the famous Toronto-based brewers. In fact, where the beer is brewed is in Leaside; a well kept secret in the industrial area of Laird and Eglinton. Locals know it as a perfect place to buy some brews to take home, but most people don’t know this is a great place to host a party. It’s a blank slate with suds on tap and a big screen ready to show the big game. Contact events@amsterdambeer.com

Broadview Hotel, 106 Broadview Avenue – This 125-year-old historic building used to be the home of the infamous gentleman club Jillys. Today it’s the cornerstone of Leslieville, 58 guest rooms and 5 event spaces are modernized and ready for a different kind of action. The 3,000 square foot Lincoln Hall will be the focal point for events with it’s own deck (featured in photo atop this article), while the 7th floor will have an unobstructed view of the skyline. We are still waiting to see the inside, but we have already been contacted by clients who have booked the space for 2017 weddings. Contact Sabrina at SBudhu@thebroadviewhotel.ca

An artists rendering of the nearly-complete Lincoln Hall inside the Broadview Hotel

Streetcar Crowsnest, 345 Carlaw Avenue – Streetcar Developments knew they wanted this ground floor space to be attractive to the Riverdale community. So they built a modern theatre/event space to host performances, events and parties. The capacity is a huge draw: ceremonies can seat 200 guests in the Guloien Theatre, and if you have a really extensive guest list, you can have up to 350 cocktail-style. Bonus points from the DJ’s perspective as the acoustics are phenomenal. Fiona is already getting inquiries for corporate events and weddings. Contact Fiona at fiona@crowstheatre.com

The Guloien Theatre is shown here set for a corporate function. Photo credit Dahlia Katz

District 28, 28 Logan Avenue – In an area of Toronto that is seldom seen by anyone (unless you are heading to the Gardiner Expressway) an adventurous project consisting of a coffee shop, workspaces, catering company, and several hip events spaces has emerged. What was once a 18,000 sq-ft factory has become an modern multi-media facility. There are rooms big enough to drive cars into for video shoots, with curved white walls repainted daily. This is where graffiti parties, break dance festivals, and the coolest corporates are held. You might even be bold enough to plan your wedding here. Contact Josh at josh@district28.ca

A BMW Launch event in one of the many versatile white rooms of District 28

Farside, 600 Gerrard Street East – We had a 40th birthday book the Farside out last year, after the client realized that having the party in her home was going to be too much work. Farside offers the comforts of a house party, but someone else will worry about the clean up the next day. They are open every night. Contact Mike at farsideto@gmail.com

Farside feels like your friends’ basement, with VHS movies playing on screen and vinyl spinning on the turntables

Nōmads Restobar, 699 Danforth Ave – What Danforth probably doesn’t need is another restaurant. What it does need is a venue space to replace the old Chinchilla Lounge above Lolita’s Lust, which closed to the dismay of many in the hood. Nomads is a restaurant, lounge and bar with a DJ booth, dance floor and some pretty cool art installations (their washrooms are designed to look like a subway platform). The cozy venue, which can hold 65 people, is available for buyouts, and the owner Jonathan is interested in getting you a reasonable price that reflects the day of the week and any special requests. Contact jonathan@nomadsrestobar.com

Had a great experience with an East End venue that we missed? Tell us about it! Leave a comment below.

Toronto’s Top Event DJs live, work and play in the East End, and are waiting to hear from you. Contact Team Floh Back today. We look forward to providing the soundtrack for your next special event!

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Danny Floh Back is the visionary behind Team Floh Back, Toronto's Top Event DJs specializing in corporate events and weddings. He is is also a Dean's List graduate and Chancellor's Scholar from Carleton University's Journalism department.

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We were looking for a DJ to play our July wedding in Toronto and heard about Floh Back Productions through friends who had retained them to play their wedding a few years ago. From first contact with Danny through to completion of our cocktail dance party wedding reception, everything about Floh Back was top shelf and 100% professional. Particularly appreciated is their list of things to consider for a great dance party at your wedding - especially the bit about don't worry if it rains on your wedding day as it makes people more likely to stay inside and dance - good thinking, guys! Our DJ Justin was great - a straightforward conversation beforehand about what we wanted and what we didn't, he showed up early on the day and ready to go, played what we wanted with great flow and sense of the room, and was a pleasure to work with throughout. Our guests raved about every aspect of our wedding and you guys were a big part of that. If you're looking for an excellent DJ company, you've found one.

We booked DJ Floh back and they were the best pick we could have made for our wedding music! We wanted a fun, upbeat wedding with a great party - and Allan delivered! He kept the party going the entire night. He was always so quick to respond, and super easy to work with. He was open to our preferences for music and we especially appreciated this. Thank you Allan for making our wedding memorable and also for giving us the idea to have our first dance under the stars! It was our absolute highlight of the night and we will now have that moment forever because of you. Thank you!